Diamond Donner

Diamond Donner was an American stage actress active in the early twentieth century, whose Broadway career spanned the years 1904 to 1906. Born and raised in Boston, she was the daughter of Gustav Theodore and Louella Donner, and graduated from Wellesley College in 1901.

Donner had harbored ambitions for the stage from childhood, and following her graduation she entered the profession as a chorus girl in The Prince of Pilsen. Her physical resemblance to the celebrated actress Ethel Barrymore was noted by The Minneapolis Journal, which reported that Donner was frequently addressed by Barrymore's name. Her Broadway appearances during this period included three musicals: The District Leader, Lifting the Lid, and The Man from China. In 1913, her portrayal of Mimi in Carmen drew praise from the Daily Sentinel, which characterized the performance as one of the most significant triumphs of the season.

Donner's personal life included a difficult episode in August 1906, when she arranged for her mother to be committed to Ardendale Sanitarium in Cos Cob, Connecticut. After the elder Donner escaped on September 6 and was not recommitted, Diamond traveled to Greenwich, Connecticut on September 10 to seek a legal adjudication of the matter.